With all eyes turned towards the safe reopening of the Country from as early as 12th April 2021, the travel industry is excited to finally set out the roadmap to begin our return to normal. The UK Government have confirmed the set dates to outline the stages at which travel will be permitted again, giving many businesses the opportunity to start looking forward towards future plans from April onwards. At arrangeMY, we are committed to supporting both our key workers plus all other businesses as they look to plan out the next steps to ensure a safe return to travel.
Looking ahead to the roadmap, here is what to expect over the next couple of months:
8th March 2021 – Step One
The easing of restrictions are limited in March whilst the rollout of the vaccine continues. From 8th March 2021, many schools and colleges will start to reopen. Key workers are still permitted to book accommodation as long as they have proof of entitlement in the form of a letter. This remains in place up until 29th March 2021, at which stage some further restrictions start to ease, such as the mixing of up to 6 people outdoors. At this stage, International Travel will be reviewed, which could see certain Countries removed from the ‘red list’ to gradually reopen some travel corridors. Outdoor sport leisure facilities will start to open at this stage, meaning some sports such as golf or tennis can resume.
12th April 2021 – Step Two
Whilst essential travel is still very much permitted for key workers, 12th April 2021 will be the earliest date that we can expect to see some restrictions ease during overnight stays. From this date, outdoor dining will be permitted, meaning many hotels will look to improve their catering offering beyond the current room service only offering. Further to this, leisure facilities such as indoor gyms will be able to reopen, allowing guests to make use of more facilities when staying away from home. Although no International Travel will be permitted unless essential, domestic travel will improve drastically, with self-contained accommodation such as serviced apartments permitted for stays of single households. Further to this, pilot events will start to begin from mid-April to ease the gradual return of meeting & events beyond 6 delegates.
17th May 2021 – Step Three
The following month will bring even further opportunities to travel, with ‘Step 3’ restrictions permitting the remaining accommodation to reopen for everyone – not just exclusively for key workers. On top of this, indoor restaurants and bars will be able to reopen as per usual from 17th May 2021 for 6 guests or 2 households, giving guests a wider catering option when staying away from home. At present, International Travel will be subject to review dependant on the progress of the vaccine, therefore we should expect some positive news to unfold over the coming weeks. Conferences and Meetings look extremely positive from May, with an increase on capacity allowing for:
Indoor Events – 1,000 Delegates or 50% Venue Capacity
Outdoor Events – 4,000 Delegates or 50% Venue Capacity
Outdoor Seated Events – 10,000 Delegates or 25% Venue Capacity
21st June 2021 – Step Four
Widely regarded as the date the Country is returning to as normal as possible, June 21st 2021 aims to remove all limits on social contact. On this date, all the remaining hospitality outlets will reopen with larger events being permitted once again, with no limits. International Travel looks to be fully lifted where possible in June, meaning businesses will finally be able to look forward to travelling abroad for meetings, events and work. Whilst these dates are a target and are subject to review, June looks to be the first time in over a year where social contact is not limited, with no rule of 6 or limits on meetings in place at all.
As many travel experts have highlighted, there is no better time than now to start planning your upcoming travel with the first set of restrictions approaching in just a months’ time. arrangeMY remain fully operational and can offer a wide range of services to our clients to support their return to travel, whether this be through evaluating your travel policy, agreeing market leading flexible rates with suppliers or planning your upcoming trips. arrangeMY are delighted to start mapping out the future of travel and are confident that our award-winning services can ensure your business is completely ready for the return to travel from April onwards.
